Winch for underground mining

ABSTRACT

A driving unit for installation in a coal-cutting machine in which a housing has arranged therein a cooling block with a substantially cylindrical bore in which an electric motor is detachably arranged and through a stepdown transmission likewise arranged in said housing is drivingly connected to a sprocket wheel or winch for operative engagement with a chain or cable for advancing the driving unit.

United States Patent 72] Inventors Karl-Heinz Weber [50} Field of Search .1. 3 l0/54; Witten-Heven; 299/34, 42, 43, 47-'5O Horst Odenkirchen, Bochum, both of, Germany [56] References Cited [2| Appl. No. 889,186 UNITED STATES PATENTS [22] Filed Dec. 30, 1969 1,734,945 I 1/1929 Holmes 299/49 [451 f July 2,653,807 9/1953 Moon 299/49 x I Asslsnee Gebr- Elckhofir Mmhinenfabrik a 2,894,155 .7/1959 Labastie 310/54 Else'lsmm 3,184,624 5/1965 Socoman 310/54 Bochum, Germany [32] priority Jam 2, 1969 Primary ExammerErnest R. Purser 3 1 Germany Attorney-Walter Becker [3]] P19000250 [54] WINCH FOR UNDERGROUND MINING 7 ABSTRACT: A driving unit for installation in a coal-cutting machine in which a housing has arranged therein-a cooling block with a substantially cylindrical bore in which an electric motor is detachably arranged and through a stepdown transmission likewise arranged in said housing is drivingly connected to a sprocket wheel or winch for operative engagement with a chain or cable for advancing the driving unit.

PATENTED JUL20 can 3,594,043

sum 3 0F 7 PATENTED JUL20 um 3594043 sum 7 or 7 WINCH FOR UNDERGROUND MINING The present invention relates to a winch and more specifically to a winch housing for coal-cutting machines. When long wall coal mining by means of a coal-cutting machine, a pull means, for instance in the form of a cable or a chain is placed at the long wall and is made fast at the end of the long wall. The coal-cutting machine is, by means of a built-in winch during a cutting travel, moved along said pulling means.

With low cutting outputs and relatively light coal-cutting machines, the energy for the operation of the cutting tools such as a bar or roller or drum, and also for the winch pull is furnished by a single driving member built into the machine. With the increase of the coal-cutting tools, the increase in the weight of the machine, and the increase in the speed of travel, the necessity arose to place into readiness separate driving elements for the winch and for the individual coal-cutting tools.

The invention is particularly directed to the improvement of such a coal-cutting unit of high output and has for its object the design of a housing adapted to the unit for receiving the drive of the winch and the parts pertaining thereto, namely, an electric motor provided with a cooling device, and a stepdown transmission which conveys the energy to the winch wheel or winch drum, and the connections for the driving means of the motor.

It is an object of the present invention so to design the winch housing that a space saving arrangement will be obtained which is adapted to the conditions for working underground of the entire coal-cutting unit.

It is a further object of this invention so to design the winch housing and its assembly that the strong soiling danger when working underground and the possibility of the occurrence of explosive atmospheres will be taken into consideration.

It is still further object of this invention so to design the winch housing that the electric motor is on one hand protected against dust and an explosive atmosphere, but on the other hand can easily be removed underground and reassembled or be replaced by another motor.

Still another object of this invention consists in so designing the cooling device for the motor, and, if necessary, also for the switch and control elements that they can likewise easily be removed from the housing for purposes of cleaning said elements.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates in plan view the coalcutting unit equipped with two cutting rollers and the winch housing during its operation at a long wall.

FIG. 2 illustrates a section taken along the iine EI-II of FIG. 3 and shows the winch housing with inserted cooling block and motor.

FIG. 3 represents a section taken along the line iII-III of FIG. 2 and illustrates the winch housing with inserted cooling block and motor. 7

FIG. 4 is another vertical section through the winch housing with inserted cooling block, said last mentioned section being taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cutout of FIG. 4 but on a larger scale than the latter and shows the connecting and control members.

FIG. 6 in a manner similar to FIG. 2 illustrates the winch housing with the cooling block and motor removed.

FIG. 7 is a section at a right angle to the bore for receiving the motor and shows the cooling block without the motor.

According to the present invention a cooling biock containing the cooling device is provided which block has a cylindrical bore for receiving the winch motor when the block is outside the housing.

The cooling block with inserted winch motor can from the side be placed into an opening of the winch housing and is adapted by means of a flange to be connected to the housing wall. This flange is expediently flush with a lateral wall of the housing wall. This wall may, for instance, face toward the coal face when the winch wheel is arranged on that side of the housing which is adjacent the back filling.

The opening of the cylindrical bore for receiving the motor is closed by a cover which protrudes beyond the motor wall, the driving shaft extending through said cover. The said cover is screwed to the cooling block in such a way that the bore is closed in a gastight manner. In order to make sure that the motor when being screwed on will be guided from the opening, the rear end of the bore is provided with a truncated coneshaped extension member while for guiding the motor inserted in the cooling block during the insertion of the block into the winch housing there is provided a bushing fixedly arranged in the housing for receiving the energy connections.

The bottom of the chamber which receives the cooling block and pertains to the winch housing is covered with seating shoulders or the like. The cooling block can thus during its insertion be so guided that when screwing on the flange it will be located at a level at which a central engagement of the pinion-equipped driving shaft of the motor with the spur gears of the subsequent stepdown transmission will be obtained.

Expediently, the chamber receiving the cooling block is followed by a pressure resistant chamber for receiving the winch and control means. The wall separating the said two chambers may be provided with cooling plates passed through by a cooling means which previously was used for cooling the electric motor. On that side of the cooling plates which faces toward the chamber receiving the switch and control members there is provided a dielectric of a high heat conductivity.

In order to assure a proper cooling of the electric motor, a passage for conveying a cooling fluid extends around the mantle of the driving motor. This passage may be passed through by cooling water and may have a helical shape. The said passage may be designed in the form of a helical groove ,either on the inner wall of the bore of the cooling block or on the outside of the mantle surface of the motor. Feeding and discharging passages for the cooling fluid lead tangentially into the ends of said groove. These passages are arranged in the cooling block. On both sides of the ends of the groove, the cylindrical bore or the motor mantle are provided with groove means for receiving sealing rings which may be pressed against the inner surface of the bore in the cooling block or against the motor mantle.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a coal-cutting machine unit equipped with two cutting rollers, one of which operates on the roof of a coal seam, whereas the other roller operates on the floor of the coal seam. The old coal seam is designated with the reference numeral 40 whereas the new coal seam is designated with the reference numeral 4]. According to the particular showing, the coal-cutting machine moves in the direction of the arrow 44. The roller 42 cutting at the roof seam is, by'means of an arm 48, adapted to be pivoted about the front cutting head 46. The roller 42 is driven by the cutting motor mounted in the machine block 45. This motor, by means of a shaft extending through the winch housing 1 also drives (in the position of operation) the rear cutting head 47 about which the roller 43 working on the floor seam is pivotally supported by means of an arm 49. The sprocket wheel 4 is mounted on the winch housing and engages the chain 50 fixedly arranged on the long wall.

The specific design of the winch housing will best be seen from the two plan views of FIGS. 2 and 6 which differ from each other in that in FIG. 2 the cooling block with the electric motor is inserted into the winch housing, whereas in FIG. 6 it has been withdrawn.

The chamber into which the cooling block 14 is inserted has that side thereof which faces the coal seam 40, 41, provided with an opening 20. At the bottom of the chamber, FIG. 6 shows supporting strips 39 for arresting or supporting the cooling block. In the chamber 24 there is provided the stepdown transmission 5 for the sprocket wheel 4. It is fixedly installed into the housing I. In the pressure resistant and explosive atmosphere resistant chamber 29, there are provided switch and control members with energy feed-in lines 32. The chamber into which the cooling block is insertedand the said chamber 29 are separated from each other by a partition 21. in FIGS. 3 and 4 there will be seen a passage 31 through which the shaft 2 is passed, which shaft extends between the motor block 45 and the rear cutting head 47 and serves for driving the cutting roller 43 by means of the cutting motor in block 45. Y

The winch motor 6 is a direct-current shunt-wound electric motor, the cylindrical housing of which, has its outside well machined. The housing may be protected against oxidation by a coat of cadmium or chromium. While the cooling block 14 is still outside the winch housing, the motor 6 with its cylindrical housing may be slidingly inserted into the bore 13 of the cooling block. The rear end of saidbore of the cooling block is closed by a cover 15 which has a truncated cone-shaped arch or curvature 16.'ln this arch 16 there may bearranged a tacho generator which is coupled to the motor armature and which furnishes a voltage in conformity with the motor speed for introducing control operations.

The front end of thevbore 13 of the cooling block is, after insertion of the motor 6, covered by a motor'cover 17. This cover is, by means of screws 37, connected to the cooling block 14. The closure of the bore 13 is supplemented by sealing rings 18. To mount these sealing rings 18, the inner wall of the cooling block is provided with corresponding grooves.

After the cooling block 14 with the motor 6 inserted therein has been placed in the winchhousing l the flange 23 forming a portion of the cooling block will close the opening 20. In FIGS. 4 and 7, there are shown the bores 38 for receiving the screws by means of which the cooling block 14 is connected to the housing 1 so that a dust and explosive atmosphere safe connection is established. By removing the cover 36 in the flange, the collector of the motor is easily accessible.

The centering of the cooling block together with the centering of the motor is, during the insertion thereof, upon the supporting strips 39 effected by means of the bushing 22. This bushing serves as explosive atmosphere resistant passage for the connecting lines 32 of the motor 6. Below the passage 31 (see FIG. 4) there are arranged the control members 30 for the driving motor which in the specific embodiment shown consists of thyristors which are connected to the housing wall 21. That section of the wall 21 which is located below the shaft passage 31 is offset in the direction of the pressure resistant chamber 29. At thisplace there is provided a cooling plate 33 which will be discussed further below.

After the cooling block 14 with themotor 6 has been inserted and has been properly centered, the pinion 7 which is mounted on the output shaft extending through cover 17 meshes with the gear 8 journaled in the winch housing. From here the rotary movement of the motor is, through the bevel gear stage 9, l0 and the spur gear stage 1 l, 12 conveyed to the shaft 3 of the driving sprocket wheel 4. 1

The cooling of the electric motor is effected by providing a helical grove 19 in the circumferential surface of the bore 13. This groove 19 (see FIGS. 4 and 7) communicates at one end through a passage 26 with a bore of the cooling block, and at the other end communicates through a passage 27 with the bore 28 which is parallel to the motor axis. Cooling water is conveyed through bore 25 through the groove 19. The cooling water leaves the cooling system of the motor through bore 28 and from here is conveyed to the bores 34 of the cooling plate 33. in order to assure the withdrawal of the lost heat, the con- The insertion of the motor mounted in the cooling block into the winch housing is made possible by the special shaping of cover 15 with the arch or curvature 16. In view of the centering by bushing'22 a precise journaling is obtained at which the pinion 7 precisely meshes with the gear 8.

After the screws screwed into the bores 38 have been loosened, flange 23 may be lifted off whereupon the entire cooling block can be removed. With the removed cooling block 14 it is possible by loosening the screws 37 to lift off the motor 6 with its cover 17. As will be seen from FIG. 7, it is now possible without difficulties to clean the groove 19 which serves for passing the cooling water. it is also possible to reach the motor when the cooling block is in its inserted position. To

this end it is merely necessary to lift off the cover 36, the seating surfaces of which likewise meet the requirements for protecting against explosive atmospheres. i The winch housing according to the invention is also able to receive very strong motors so that a high travel speed of the coal-cutting machine during the cutting operation can be obtained. This speed is' adjusted during the coal-cutting operation in conformity with the minerals or ores to be cut.

it is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A driving unit for installation in a coal-cutting machine,

which includes: housing means having an opening, advancing trol members 30 are insulated by a dielectric 35 with regard to means supported by and protruding from said housing means for engagement with chain means and cable means, electric motor means arranged within said housing means and drivingly connected to said advancing means, transmission means interposed between and drivingly interconnecting said electric motor means and said advancing means, and cooling block means arranged within said housing means and provided with flange means detachably connected to said housing means while tightly closing said opening of said housing means when connected thereto, said cooling block means having said electric motor means arranged therein while surrounding the same, and said electric motor means having a driving shaft protruding from saidcooling block means.

2. A unit according to claim 1, in which said opening of said housing means is arranged on one side thereof.

3. A unit according to claim I, in which said cooling block means has a substantially cylindrical passage, and in which said electric motor means is detachably secured in said passage. 1

4. A unit according to claim 2, which includes cover means closing said passage and being detachably connected to said cooling block means, said cover means having an opening therethrough for the passage of said driving shaft therethrough.

5. A unit according to claim 2, which includes a truncated cone-shaped member connected to said cooling block means at that end thereof which is remote from said cover means and forms an abutment for said motor means, and means connected to said housing means for receiving the lead-in conductors for said motor means.

6. A unit according to claim 3, which includes supporting strip means arranged at the bottom portion of said passage for supporting said motor means and guiding the same during its assembly.

7. A unit according to claim 1, in which said housing means has a first housing section with said cooling block means arranged therein and also has a second housing section which is pressure resistant and adjacent to butseparate from said first housing section for receiving switch and control means.

8. A unit according to claim 3, in which the inner wall surface of said cooling block means which defines said substantially cylindrical passage forms a portion of a helical cooling passage for said motor means, and which includes inlet and outlet conduit means communicating with opposite ends of said cooling passage for feeding cooling fluid into and discharging the same from said helical cooling passage.

9. A unit according to claim 8, in which said cooling passage includes a helical groove in the inner wall of said cylindrical passage.

10. A unit according to claim 8, in which said cooling passage includes a helical groove in the peripheral surface of said motor means.

11. A unit according to claim 8, which includes sealing ring means arranged at opposite ends of said cooling passage for sealing said substantially cylindrical passage relative to the peripheral surface of said motor means.

12. A unit according to claim 7, which includes partition means separating said first housing section from said second housing section, cooling conduit means associated with said partition means, and a helical cooling passage at the peripheral surface of said motor means and communicating with said cooling conduit means.

13. A unit according to claim 12, in which said cooling conduit means associated with said partition means are formed by plate means on the inside of said second housing section, and which includes control means connected to the wall of said second housing section, and dielectric means of high heat conductivity insulating said control means relative to said lastmentioned wall.

14. A unit according to claim 1, which includes flange means closing said cooling block means, and in which the driving connection between said motor means and said transmission includes a pair of spur gears directly following said motor means and having their axes located in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said flange means. 

1. A driving unit for installation in a coal-cutting machine, which includes: housing means having an opening, advancing means supported by and protruding from said housing means for engagement with chain means and cable means, electric motor means arranged within said housing means and drivingly connected to said advancing means, transmission means interposed between and drivingly interconnecting said electric motor means and said advancing means, and cooling block means arranged within said housing means and provided with flange means detachably connected to said housing means while tightly closing said opening of said housing means when connected thereto, said cooling block means having said electric motor means arranged therein while surrounding the same, and said electric motor means having a driving shaft protruding from said cooling block means.
 2. A unit according to claim 1, in which said opening of said housing means is aRranged on one side thereof.
 3. A unit according to claim 1, in which said cooling block means has a substantially cylindrical passage, and in which said electric motor means is detachably secured in said passage.
 4. A unit according to claim 2, which includes cover means closing said passage and being detachably connected to said cooling block means, said cover means having an opening therethrough for the passage of said driving shaft therethrough.
 5. A unit according to claim 2, which includes a truncated cone-shaped member connected to said cooling block means at that end thereof which is remote from said cover means and forms an abutment for said motor means, and means connected to said housing means for receiving the lead-in conductors for said motor means.
 6. A unit according to claim 3, which includes supporting strip means arranged at the bottom portion of said passage for supporting said motor means and guiding the same during its assembly.
 7. A unit according to claim 1, in which said housing means has a first housing section with said cooling block means arranged therein and also has a second housing section which is pressure resistant and adjacent to but separate from said first housing section for receiving switch and control means.
 8. A unit according to claim 3, in which the inner wall surface of said cooling block means which defines said substantially cylindrical passage forms a portion of a helical cooling passage for said motor means, and which includes inlet and outlet conduit means communicating with opposite ends of said cooling passage for feeding cooling fluid into and discharging the same from said helical cooling passage.
 9. A unit according to claim 8, in which said cooling passage includes a helical groove in the inner wall of said cylindrical passage.
 10. A unit according to claim 8, in which said cooling passage includes a helical groove in the peripheral surface of said motor means.
 11. A unit according to claim 8, which includes sealing ring means arranged at opposite ends of said cooling passage for sealing said substantially cylindrical passage relative to the peripheral surface of said motor means.
 12. A unit according to claim 7, which includes partition means separating said first housing section from said second housing section, cooling conduit means associated with said partition means, and a helical cooling passage at the peripheral surface of said motor means and communicating with said cooling conduit means.
 13. A unit according to claim 12, in which said cooling conduit means associated with said partition means are formed by plate means on the inside of said second housing section, and which includes control means connected to the wall of said second housing section, and dielectric means of high heat conductivity insulating said control means relative to said last-mentioned wall.
 14. A unit according to claim 1, which includes flange means closing said cooling block means, and in which the driving connection between said motor means and said transmission includes a pair of spur gears directly following said motor means and having their axes located in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said flange means. 